Harmonious Elements
a string quartet by Lendren Starfall

This song is to be performed by four musicians, playing the following four
instruments:

- a harmonious sea-blue viola
- a harmonious earthy-brown lute
- a harmonious flame-red mandolin
- a harmonious airy crystal lyre

Harmonies will transition over the course of the song from consonant,
interwoven chord structures at the start, to gradually more dissonant,
distinct, and harsh separate melodies, then abruptly return to harmony in the
final verse.

= = =

Mandolin:
A fiery sunset spreading warmth, a blood-red sky of shim'ring light.
Lyre:
A seagull wings through rippling air, as wispy clouds glide by behind.
Lute:
Below, the dunes soak up the heat, crabs creep through grasses out of sight.
Viola:
As ocean waves make endless songs, the shore and sea's roar intertwined.

Lyre:
A gust of wind the seagull sends to inland woodlands, trickling rill.
Lute:
Astride a hillside maples cling, their roots grip tightly in the soil.
Viola:
A salmon struggling up a stream that cheerful tumbles down the hill.
Mandolin:
Then lightning crackles, splits the sky, the heat and clouds a churning moil.

Viola:
The sudden rain the stream o'erswells, the water churning back to sea;
Viola:
The frothing waves of muddy drink run down into the endless brine,
Viola:
Eternal flux of tossing waves, polluted waters wild and free,
Viola:
The poison sinking to the depths, corrupting on its swift decline.

Viola:
All hands reach up, all minds stretch forth, and find vibrations now in flux;
Mandolin:
The forest-dwellers watch with hope the cleansing, but also with doubt.
Lute:
Now purified the swaying seas divorced from land's muddy influx,
Lyre:
But dissonance the waters taints, the balance separated out.

Mandolin:
A burning wonder, envious flame desires fiery purity;
Mandolin:
And follows suit, and reaches out, distilling heat from baser things.
Lyre:
Air too is cleansed and purged of heat, of strength, of change, of surety,
Lyre:
Left cold and empty, pure and bright, an empty sky 'neath empty wings.

Lute:
At last the earth itself grows cold, its balance sacrificed for might.
Lute:
The elements now artifice, in conflict where once concord was.
Lute:
As each strives to outreach the last, and harmony is lost to sight,
Lute:
A few remember what was lost, but far too late to change the course.

Lyre:
Beyond the shore a forest stands, still full of airy music sweet,
Viola:
Where sun and rain still warm and feed the land and air and bright sunset;
Lute:
Where artificial conflict does not yet hold sway o'er things complete,
Mandolin:
And elements harmoniously balanced not forgotten yet.